story: PITTSBURGH - For most people, snakes seem unpleasant or even threatening. But Howie Choset sees in their delicate movements a way to save lives. 
  
  The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies. 
  
  Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows. He said there are other snake-like robots being developed, mainly at universities, but didn't know of one that could climb pipes. 
  
  The Carnegie Mellon machines are designed to carry cameras and electronic sensors and can be controlled with a joystick . They move smoothly with the help of small electric motors, or servos, commonly used by hobbyists in model airplanes. 
  
  Built from lightweight materials, the robots are about the size of a human arm or smaller. They can sense which way is up, but are only as good as their human operators, Choset added. 
  
  Sam Stover, a search term manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency based in Indiana, said snake-type robots would offer greater mobility than equipment currently available, such as cameras attached to extendable roles. 
  
  "It just allows us to do something we've not been able to do before," Stover said, "We needed them yesterday." 
  
  He said snifter dogs are still the best search tool for rescue workers, but that they can only be used effectively when workers have access to damaged building. 
  
  Stover, among the rescue workers who handled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, said snake robots would have helped rescuers search flooded houses in that disaster. 
  
  Choset said the robots may not be ready for use for another five to ten years, depending on funding.
questions: Who uses snakes to save lives?
questions: How old is he?
questions: Does he teach?
questions: Where?
questions: What does he make?
questions: Why?
questions: What is Robotics Trends?/
questions: What does it do?
questions: Where is it based?
questions: Which state?
questions: Does it have a president?
questions: Who is it?
questions: What are the machines controlled by?
questions: Do they move smoothly?
questions: What are servos?
questions: Who else uses them?
questions: What are the robots built from?
questions: How big are they?
questions: Do they know which way is up?
answers: Howie Choset
answers: But Howie Choset sees in their delicate movements a way to save lives. 
answers: 37
answers: The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide throu
answers: Yes
answers: The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies. 
answers: Carnegie Mellon
answers: The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor
answers: robots
answers: The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies. 
answers: To help victims
answers: g snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies. 
answers: a company
answers: Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company th
answers: publishes an online industry magazine
answers: publishes an online industry magazine
answers: Northboro
answers: Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows.
answers: Massachusetts
answers: Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows.
answers: Yes
answers: Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows.
answers: Dan Kara
answers: Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends
answers: a joystick
answers: can be controlled with a joystick . 
answers: Yes
answers:  They move smoothly 
answers: small electric motors
answers: with the help of small electric motors, or servos,
answers: hobbyists
answers: hobbyists in model airplanes
answers: lightweight materials
answers: Built from lightweight materials, the robots are about the size of a human arm or smaller.
answers: No
answers: he robots are about the size of a human arm or smaller.
answers: Yes
answers: hey can sense which way is up, but are only as good as their human operators, Choset added. 